Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. An optical node, comprising: a plurality of ports operating links according to Optical Transport Network (OTN); and a control module in communication with each of the plurality of ports, wherein the control module operates a signaling and routing protocol; wherein the control module is configured to dynamically manage OTN trail termination points; and wherein the control module is configured to manage the OTN trail termination points via both a fast path utilizing a data/transport plane for provisioning the OTN trail termination points in the data/transport plane and a slow path utilizing a control plane for managing the OTN trail termination points in the control plane.
An optical node in an Optical Transport Network (OTN) has multiple ports and a control module. The control module uses a signaling and routing protocol to dynamically manage OTN trail termination points. This management happens via two paths: a "fast path" that uses the data/transport plane to quickly provision the OTN trail termination points and a "slow path" that uses the control plane for overall management. This allows for rapid setup of connections while maintaining control and stability.
2. The optical node of claim 1 , wherein the OTN trail termination points comprise any of ODU 3 trail termination points, ODU 2 trail termination points, and ODU 1 trail termination points, and wherein each of the OTN trail termination points support different service models comprising any of ODU 2 , ODU 1 and ODU 0 /OPVC.
In the optical node described previously, the dynamically managed OTN trail termination points can be ODU3, ODU2, or ODU1 types. Each of these supports different service models, including ODU2, ODU1, and ODU0/OPVC. This means the system can handle various bandwidth and connection requirements on the fly.
3. The optical node of claim 1 , further comprising: the control plane; the data/transport plane; and a state machine for each of the OTN trail termination points, wherein the state machine determines activity associated with the OTN trail termination points relative to the control plane and the data/transport plane.
The optical node described previously also includes a control plane, a data/transport plane, and a state machine for each OTN trail termination point. This state machine tracks the activity of each OTN trail termination point relative to both the control and data/transport planes, ensuring consistent operation and management across the two planes.
4. The optical node of claim 3 , wherein the state machine comprises four states based upon each of the OTN trail termination points state in the control plane and the data/transport plane.
The state machine for each OTN trail termination point described previously uses four states. These states are determined by the current status of the OTN trail termination point in both the control plane and the data/transport plane, providing a complete view of its operational state.
5. The optical node of claim 4 , wherein one of the four states comprises a hold off timer to hold a time period prior to deleting a OTN trail termination point.
In the state machine with four states described previously, one state includes a "hold off timer". This timer delays the deletion of an OTN trail termination point for a specific period, providing a buffer before resources are released.
6. The optical node of claim 4 , wherein responsive to a network failure, a OTN trail termination point is dynamically created via the slow path in the control plane and via the fast path in the data/transport plane.
In the state machine with four states described previously, when a network failure occurs, a new OTN trail termination point is dynamically created. This creation happens through both the slow path in the control plane and the fast path in the data/transport plane, enabling rapid restoration of connectivity.
7. The optical node of claim 1 , wherein the signaling and routing protocol comprises one of Optical Signaling and Routing Protocol (OSRP), Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON), and Generalized Multi Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS).
In the optical node described previously, the signaling and routing protocol used by the control module can be Optical Signaling and Routing Protocol (OSRP), Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON), or Generalized Multi Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS).
8. The optical node of claim 1 , wherein the control module is configured to advertise bandwidth comprising any of Optical Channel Data Unit n, where n =0, 1, 2, 3, and Optical channel Payload Virtual Containers.
In the optical node described previously, the control module can advertise different bandwidth options. These include Optical Channel Data Unit n (ODUn, where n = 0, 1, 2, 3) and Optical channel Payload Virtual Containers, allowing nodes to communicate available capacity.
9. The optical node of claim 1 , wherein the signaling and routing protocol communicates to the other optical nodes via any of the General Communication Channels (GCC) in the OTN overhead comprising GCC 0 , GCC 1 , GCC 2 or GCC 1 +2, an optical service channel, or an out-of-band connection.
In the optical node described previously, the signaling and routing protocol communicates with other optical nodes using General Communication Channels (GCC) within the OTN overhead (GCC0, GCC1, GCC2, or GCC1+2), an optical service channel, or an out-of-band connection. These channels facilitate control plane communication between nodes.
10. An optical method, comprising: via a bandwidth manager, maintaining bandwidth information at a various Optical Transport Network (OTN) levels; receiving a circuit request; dynamically allocating various different levels of OTN trail termination points responsive to the circuit request; and creating an OTN trail termination point via a fast path in the data/transport plane for provisioning the OTN trail termination points in the data/transport plane and via a slow path in the control plane for managing the OTN trail termination points in the control plane.
An optical method involves a bandwidth manager maintaining bandwidth information at various OTN levels. Upon receiving a circuit request, the method dynamically allocates different levels of OTN trail termination points. An OTN trail termination point is then created using a fast path in the data/transport plane for provisioning and a slow path in the control plane for management.
11. The optical method of claim 10 , further comprising: setting up cross connections based on the dynamically created OTN trail termination points; allocating bandwidth; and returning the cross connects to a routing subsystem.
The optical method described previously further includes setting up cross-connections based on the dynamically created OTN trail termination points, allocating bandwidth for these connections, and returning the cross-connect information to a routing subsystem.
12. The optical method of claim 10 , further comprising: implementing a state machine to distinguish the OTN trail termination points between the control plane and the data/transport plane.
The optical method described previously further includes implementing a state machine. This state machine differentiates the OTN trail termination points between the control plane and the data/transport plane, tracking their status in each.
13. The optical method of claim 12 , further comprising: implementing a hold off timer prior to deleting the OTN trail termination point; and if no circuits are added to the OTN trail termination point prior to expiration of the hold off timer, deleting the OTN trail termination point via the slow path in both the data/transport plane and the control plane.
This invention relates to optical transport network (OTN) management, specifically addressing the efficient deletion of OTN trail termination points (TTPs) to prevent unnecessary resource consumption. In OTN systems, TTPs are used to manage data circuits, but when circuits are removed, the TTP may remain active, wasting network resources. The invention provides a method to automatically delete a TTP after a hold-off timer expires, ensuring that no new circuits are added to the TTP during this period. If no circuits are added before the timer expires, the TTP is deleted via a slow path process in both the data/transport plane and the control plane. The slow path ensures a controlled and synchronized deletion across both planes, preventing disruptions. The hold-off timer allows for a grace period, accommodating potential reconfiguration or circuit reallocation before deletion. This method optimizes resource utilization by automatically removing unused TTPs while ensuring network stability. The invention is particularly useful in dynamic OTN environments where circuit configurations frequently change.
14. The optical method of claim 13 , wherein the OTN trail termination points comprise any of ODU 3 trail termination points, ODU 2 trail termination points, and ODU 1 trail termination points, and wherein each of the OTN trail termination points support different service models comprising any of ODU 2 , ODU 1 and ODU 0 /OPVC.
In the optical method described previously, the OTN trail termination points can be ODU3, ODU2, or ODU1. These different OTN trail termination points support different service models, which include ODU2, ODU1, and ODU0/OPVC, providing flexibility in bandwidth allocation.
15. An optical network, comprising: a plurality of interconnected nodes utilizing Optical Transport Network (OTN) links for the interconnection; and a signaling and routing protocol operating on the plurality of interconnected nodes over the OTN links for maintaining network topology and bandwidth and for establishing Sub Network Connections (SNCs) between any of the plurality of interconnected nodes; wherein each of the plurality of interconnected nodes is configured to dynamically manage OTN trail termination points, and wherein the OTN trail termination points comprise any of ODU 3 trail termination points, ODU 2 trail termination points, and ODU 1 trail termination points, and wherein each of the OTN trail termination points support different service models comprising any of ODU 2 , ODU 1 and ODU 0 /OPVC; and wherein the OTN trail termination points are distinguished between a control plane in which the OTN trail termination points are managed via a slow path and a data/transport plane in which the OTN trail termination points are provisioned via a fast path.
An optical network contains interconnected nodes using OTN links. A signaling and routing protocol runs on these nodes to manage network topology, bandwidth, and Sub Network Connections (SNCs). Each node dynamically manages OTN trail termination points (ODU3, ODU2, ODU1 supporting ODU2, ODU1, ODU0/OPVC service models). These OTN trail termination points are managed via a slow path in the control plane and provisioned via a fast path in the data/transport plane.
16. The optical network of claim 15 , further comprising: one or more databases associated with the signaling and routing protocol for maintaining topology and bandwidth of the network; and path computation logic associated with the signaling and routing protocol to provide routes through the network based on the one or more databases.
The optical network described previously contains one or more databases, managed by the signaling and routing protocol, that store network topology and bandwidth information. Path computation logic uses these databases to determine routes through the network, optimizing connections between nodes.
17. The optical network of claim 15 , further comprising: a state machine operated at each of the plurality of interconnected nodes for each of the dynamically managed OTN trail termination points, wherein the state machine state machine distinguishes the OTN trail termination points between the control plane and the data/transport plane.
The optical network described previously uses a state machine at each interconnected node for each dynamically managed OTN trail termination point. The state machine tracks if each OTN trail termination point is in the control plane or the data/transport plane, enabling differentiation.
18. The optical network of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of interconnected nodes based upon the state machine is configured to: create the OTN trail termination point via the fast path in the data/transport plane and via the slow path in the control plane; implement a hold off timer prior to deleting the OTN trail termination point; and if no circuits are added to the OTN trail termination point prior to expiration of the hold off timer, delete the OTN trail termination point via the slow path in both the data/transport plane and the control plane.
In the optical network described previously, each node uses its state machine to: create OTN trail termination points via the fast path in the data/transport plane and the slow path in the control plane, implement a hold-off timer before deleting an OTN trail termination point, and if no circuits are added before timer expiration, delete the OTN trail termination point via the slow path in both the data/transport plane and control plane.
Unknown
January 6, 2015
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.